Automatic light-shield for moving-picture machines.



D. G. WOODWORTH. AUTOMATIC LIGHT SHIELD FOB. MOVING PICTURE MACHINES.

APPLIGATIQN FILED JAN. 30, 1909.

Patented May 25, 1909 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

D. c. WOOD-WORTH. AUTOMATIC LIGHT SHIELD FOR MOVING PICTURE MAGHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAILGO, 1909.

Patented May 25, 1909.

2 BKEETS- BKEET 2- nnunnnnuum,

UNlTEi PATENT OFFICE.

I DALLAS C. WOODWORTH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOCARL LAEMMLE, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC LIGHT-SHIELD FOR MOVING-PICTURE M:AGHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1909.

Application filed Januaryto, 1909. Serial No. 475,249.

To all whom ithrm; concern:

Be it known -tliht l, DALLAS (1. W001)- worrrii, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, end State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Light- Shicidsfor lvloving-licture Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to moving picture 111$.Ghi11555,-811d morespecifically to safety devices thcrcfor.

The object of invention is to provide a device of the charactermentioned which will be in the nature of e shield. so crrenged as to beadapted to be nuton'ieticolly actuated-to intercept the light projectedfrom the illu ur nating lamp of the machine, whenever the intermittentlyoperated sprocket for any reason, while the machine is inoperntiomceases to draw the i'ilm or ribbon through the machine.

In moving picture machines, the rays of light are concentrated orfocused at a point sd nccnt to the film or ribbon, and inasmuch as thelatter is usually composed of a. highly inflammable, and combustiblematerial utmost care and ceutionis required to revent the ecc'idcntalignition thereof. WYiile the ""film is in motion it passes rapidlyenough to prevent undue hosting, but if fornny reason 1t stops, with thelight concentrated thereon,

, the ignition thereof is inevitable.

It is it well known fact, particularly among moving picture machineoperators that the cause of the great majority of such accidents,

that is the igniting of the picture'fihns, is occasioned by the use offilms containing torn or wornsprocketdiolcs, or thick splice-s. The

films containing such sprocket holes or splices Will nvsi rmbly pass thefeed sprocket of the machine, there being notension of the film up tothis point, the friction roller in cn-' thick splice or tornsprocket-holes in the film reach the intermittently operated sprocket,

the film clogs at that point, that is said sprocket will cease todraw'the some, owing to the restraining force of the tension springswhich it or its friction roller is not powerful enough to overcome,hence causing the re tarding or sto ping thereof at the point, with aresult as be ore stated. It is therefore the object of my invention toprovide, as before stated, a. shield which will be adopted to beeffectually actuated upon the occurrence. of

' the circumstances above stated.

A still further object of my invention is to prdvide a device ofthe-character mentioned which will be in the nature of an attachmentadapted to be readily arranged upon a machine while in useorsimultnncous with 'th manufacturing thereof.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide ashield device whichwill be highly efli cient and which will be simple of construc tion,hence of low cost to manufacture.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

With these objects in view my invention just described.

My invention will be more readily under stood by reference to theaccompanying drawings forming it part of this specification, and inwhich,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of it moving picture. machine which'isprovided with the preferred formof my device, and Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of the rear door or gate of the machine casing detached.

Referring now to the drawings 1 indicates it moving picture machinecasing, which may be of any ordinary or preferred form, {LIN l'lingedlysecured as at 3 by moons of a hinge pin 4 t0 the rearward end ofsnidcusing is the ordinary door or gate 5 thereof.

6 indicates the usual continuous feed sprocket o the machine which is soconnected as to continuously feed the film or ribbon 7 when the machineis in o )erntion.

8 is the usual friction roller mounted in a 2 the lens holder ortubothereof.

held in orced engagement with the sprocket 6, the edges of the iiini 7resting, when the machine isin operation between said sprocket and saidroller.

10 is the guide roller over which the film 6 and roller 10 the film islooped at 12 for known reasons. Provided upon said door 5- ordinarily,are elongated tensional leaf springs (not shown) between which and theinside surface of the door the film passes, such being provided tofacilitate holdin the latter stead orrigid while projecting ighttherethroug 1. springs the film passes between the ordinaryintermittently operated sprocket 13 and the friction roller 13, thenceto a reel (not shown) upon which it is coiled. Thus far my descriptionhas dealt only with the general construction and operati n of a movingicture machine, no claim whatsoever being aid to the same. i I

What I am about to claim as novel will be described in the followingiArranged upon the outer surface of the door 5, the same be ing securedthereto in any suitable manner, butpreforably'by means of brackets 14secure as by screws 15 to said door, is a preferably rectangular plate16 formed of any suitable material but preferably of sheet aluminumarranged parallel to said door 5. Said plate 16 is so arranged upon saiddoor that an aperture 17 provided therein which is .of dimersionssubstantially the same as those of the door a )erture 11, will be indirect alinement with the latter, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. llavingits shank 1S swingingly mounted upon a pivotal pin 19 secured in andprojecting from the outer surface of said p'latclii is a plate'or shieldproper 20, the same being of such a shape and so arranged as to beadapted, when abutting a sin 1 21 projecting from the plate 16, to entire y cover the aperture 17 as clearly shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2A coil spring 22 the respective extremities of which are secured to said.pin it) and said shank 19, is adapted to normallyhold said shield 26 inclosing position.

Having its lower edge 23 hingcdly secured to the upper edge of the plate16 is a curved I plate or trigger 24, said plate being so p0s1- tionedand arranged as to be adapted to' be engaged and rocked by the film loop12 upon the enlargement thereof. Depending from the lower edge of saidplate-2 1m an angular arm 25 the extremity 26 of which extends through aslot 27 provided in the plate 16 for the reception of the same. Saidextremity 26 of said arm 25 is adapted to act in the capacity of a stofor the shield shank 18, the same being M apted when in enga ement withthe edge 28 thereof, to hold said shield After leaving the tension loopsaid film will obviousi in opened position, as clearly shown in fulllines in Fig. 2. A coil spring 29 the respective extremities of whichare in engagement with said trig. er plate 24 and the upper edge of saidbase p ate 16, isadapt'ed normally to hold said arm extremity 26 inengagement with said shield shank.

In the opera tion of the machine the shield blade 20- is arranged inopen. position as shown in full lines. New, upon the occurrence of thebefore described circumstances, that is a of the intermittently operateds )rocket 13 ceasing to draw theiihn through the machine as it is fed bythe feeding spi-bcket 6, the film loop 12 will imrnediateiy rent of saidJ contact the in-- side surface of the trigger piato 24 forcing the sameover, thereby causing the withdrai'al of the extremity 26 thereof fromengagement with the shield shank 18 the enlarge. Upon such enla shield20 in such event being immediately rocked into closing position, therebyintercepting the irojecte rays of light and hence obvioysly obviatingall possibility of the i nition of the film. In order that the shiel d20 ma be readily returned to initial iosition, t 1e edge portion 30 ofthe shank tLQIC" of is bent outwardly as sh wn, such provi* sionobviously eliminating the necessity of the machine operator havinr to(la rress the trigger extremity 26in returning t re shieid to itsinitial position.

l/Vhile l have shown what I deem to be the to be limited thereto, asthere might be many changes made in the details of con struetiw andarrangement of parts without departing from the spirit. of my invention.And although I have'shown my device ar ranged upon a machine ofparticular design, I may use the same upon any other'machlne to whichit'is applicable.

liaving described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters l atcnt is:

1. ,In a device of the class described, the combination with a movingpicture achin'3 v of a, normally withdrawn shield ad ted in beinterposed between the i. source and the light aperture 1 0 saidnra'chine casing, and means in ouerau t connection with said shield andin of an enlargement oi thegfilm loo whe said shield will be released,an Jstan. as described.

2. in a device of the class described 1; combination with a movingicture mac 1' (it-a normally withdrawn. s ield ada tedbe interposedbetween the picture h m and the illuminating source, said'shield beingadapted when released to intercept the light rays projected from saidilluminating source,

in source, said shield being adapted whennection with said shield and inthe the film loop, whereby said shield will be released, substantiallyas described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a movingpicture machine, of a swingin'gly mounted normally withdrawn shieldadapted to be inter osed be.- tween the picture 'film and the 1luminatre eased to swing into a )o'sition intercepting the light rays,rojecteil from said illuminating source, an means in operative conpa thof an enlar ement of the film loopjwlwrehy said shield will be released,substantially as described.

4. In a. device of the class described, the combination with a movingpicture machine,

: of aswinginglymounted normally withdrawn "shield interposed betweenthe picture lilm and the illuminating source, said shield bein adaptedwhen released to intercept the ligit rays rojected from saidilluminating source, and means adaptedto hold said shield in a positionout of the path of said light rays, said means being adapted, upon theenlargement of the'filmloop, torelease said shield, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a movingpicture-machine, of a, swingingly mounted normally withdrawn shieldinterposed between the picture film and the illuminating source, saidshield bein adapted when released to intercept the ligdlt rays projectedfrom said illuminating source, a p ate arranged in the path of the filmloop when enlarged, a portion of said plate being adapted to hold saidshield in a position out of the said platebeing adapted, u on the calmement of the film loop, to

a moving picture machine,

path of said light rays,-

re case said shie d, substantiallyasdescribed. In a device of. the classdescribed, the

combination with plate being adapted to hold said shield in a positionout of the path of said light rays, said plate being adapted whencontacted by said enlarging film loop, to release said shield,substantially as described.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a movingpicture machine and the casing thereof, of an apcrturcd base platemounted parallel with the rearward end portion of the machine casing;the aperture in said plate being in alinen'ient with the light aperturein said machine casing, a normally withdrawn shield swingingly mountedupon said )late adapted when released to intercept the light raysprojected from the illuminating sourre, and a curved trigger platehingedly secured to the upper edge of said base plate, the upper endportion of said plate being positionedin the path of the picture iilmloop when enlarging, the lower end portion of said plate being adaptednormally to hold said shield in a position out of the path of said lightrays, said plate being adapted when,eontactedby the enlarging film loopto release said shield, sub stantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this" specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

' DALLAS C. VVOODWORTH.

Witnesses:

JosHUA R. H. Po'r'rs, .VHELEN F. LILLIs.

